


Flat Tire

by witchGender



Category: FFVII, FFVIII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Fluff, M/M, You can decide if this is KH or FF because it could be either tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-18
Updated: 2017-06-18
Packaged: 2018-11-15 11:28:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11230008
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/witchGender/pseuds/witchGender
Summary: Leon's morning is starting out pretty crappy, but things are about to take a turn for the better. Commission for lionhxrts on Tumblr.





	Flat Tire

     “Shit!”

     Leon wasn't much of a morning person. He wasn't really a night owl either, but he definitely wasn't a morning person. He was one of those people who would really prefer not to speak to anyone until he'd consumed at least one cup of coffee, preferably two. But unfortunately, on this particular morning, he'd woken up late, and didn't have time to make coffee. Realizing he was going to be late for work, Leon quickly shoved himself into his uniform, shrugged on his motorcycle jacket, and went outside. It was mid December, and the roads had frosted over in the night. This didn't bother Leon, he'd driven in a blizzard before, but it meant the road would be more hazardous. Sighing out a small cloud of fog, he got his motorcycle out of the garage, climbed on, and started the engine. The bike seemed to purr contentedly, and Leon road our of his driveway and down the street. The bike was very important to him, being a moving away gift from his father, so Leon took very good care of it, and it showed.

     Alas, even a lot of TLC doesn't combat ice. Leon was about halfway to work when he hit a frozen puddle, skidded, and drove into a ditch, cursing. Thankfully, he avoided crashing into anything. Unfortunately, he did hit something sharp, and he groaned as he realized there was air rapidly leaving his front tire. At first, Leon covered his face with his hands, fighting back the urge to yell. Then he took a deep breath and exhaled, once again watching his breath become fog. Then he pulled out his cell phone and dialed his work.

     “Hey boss. Sorry, got a flat. I'm gonna be late.”

 

     Traverse Town was tiny. The disadvantage to this was that everyone knew each other. The advantage was that everything was relatively close together. Leon was able to push his bike to the only auto repair shop in town without difficulty. Highwind's Mechanics was a small but neat shop, and the owner, Cid, was known for being very good at his job, if a bit cranky. Leon pushed his bike up to the garage, finding Cid poking around under the hood of a car. He looked up and waved to Leon.

     “Hey kiddo! What's wrong with your girl?” Despite the pretty shitty start to the morning, Leon smiled. Cid's affection for vehicles was oddly endearing.

     “Drove her into a ditch, I'm afraid. Icy roads. She's got a flat.”

     “A flat?” Cid walked over and crouched, examining the tire. He whistled. “Yep, that's a flat alright. No fixing that, you need a new tire. It'll be relatively fast though.”

     “That's a relief, I need to get to work.” Cid stood and gestured to the shop.

     “You leave her out here and I'll fix her right up. My new assistant's inside, just let him know what's up and he'll ring up the bill for you. Oh, and, be patient with him. He's a bit of a dreamer.”

     “A dreamer?” Leon asked, puzzled.

     “Yeah, you know. Head in the clouds, that sort of thing.” Cid waved a hand. Leon smiled again. He was sure Cid wasn't at all patient with the new guy, even though he was warning Leon to be. With a polite nod, he turned and walked into the shop, bells jingling on the door as he did so. The inside of the shop was cool, tires and car parts lining the walls along with a few vintage car race posters. Leon spotted a shape shifting behind the counter, indicating someone was bent over behind it, messing with something. Leon cleared his throat.

     “One moment!” called a voice. The person straightened, brushing his bangs out of his eyes, and flashed a smile. “Hi, welcome to Highwind's Mechanics! What can I do for you today?”

     Just like Leon wasn't much of a morning person, he wasn't much of a flirt. In fact, he generally just didn't concern himself with romance. Too much risk, not enough payoff. With that in mind, he didn't focus on people's looks, so he wouldn't inadvertently end up attracted to them. But the boy behind the counter, with his mess of black hair, bright blue eyes, and wide grin managed to make Leon freeze up for a moment.

     “Uh...” _Come on you idiot, say something!_ “Cid's getting me a new tire. Motorcycle.” He winced internally. The words were even more clipped than he usually sounded, as if he was frustrated with the new guy, and not... Not what? Flustered? Leon didn't even want to think about it.

     “Ah, okay!” The newbie quickly shuffled over to the computer at the counter, tapping away at the keyboard. “I'll get your bill ready. I'm Zack, by the way. What's your name?”

     “Leon.” He tried to act more casual, crossing his arms and resting his elbows on the counter. “So where are you from, Zack? You must be new in town.” Not that Leon had been in Traverse Town very long himself, he'd only moved there four years previously. But he still considered himself a local at this point.

     “Gongaga!” Zack piped up cheerfully, clicking something on the screen. “My dad knew Cid when they were in college, so when I decided to become a mechanic, Dad said I should come here and be Cid's apprentice. So here I am. Been on the job for two weeks!” Just two weeks? No wonder the kid still looked like he had some pep in his step. Being careful not to be obvious, Leon trailed his eyes over Zack. He had a smattering of freckles over his nose and cheeks. His arms were nicely muscled, though the polo shirt of his work uniform didn't show all of them. His hair was in a short ponytail, but a good chunk of it couldn't be contained and was sticking out messily. He had a scar on his left cheek, some kind of odd, cross-like shape. Leon wondered where he got it.

     “Here's your bill!” Zack stuck a printed page under his nose, and Leon jumped slightly. _Christ almighty, did I really just space out staring at this guy?_ Praying his face wasn't turning pink, Leon took the paper and quickly signed it, not even reading it. He handed it back with his credit card and Zack quickly paid the bill, humming cheerily. He seemed completely oblivious to Leon's embarrassment, until he printed the receipt, wrote something on it, then handed it to Leon with a meaningful look. Leon took it, glanced down at it. His eyes went wide. There, in a spidery but still readable scrawl, was Zack's name, followed by a phone number. Leon looked up, knowing for sure his cheeks were pink this time. Zack smiled, more lazily than before, and winked.

     “No pressure.” he said easily. Leon's hand tightened involuntarily around the receipt, and he turned, exiting the shop as fast as he could without running. Over the jingling of the bells on the door, he was sure he could hear Zack quietly laughing to himself.

 

     It was three days later when Leon finally got up the nerve to actually use the number. He'd put it into his phone already, but that was all. He lay on his bed, knees bend, frowning at his phone. He pondered whether he should call or text. Finally opting for the less personal option, he typed a quick message.

 

**Hello. This is Leon.**

 

     There, that should be good enough. He was about to set his phone aside when it buzzed with a reply. _Damn, he's fast._

 

**hi!! omg, you actually texted me!**

 

**Did you think I'd be rude enough not to?**

 

**its not rude to refuse to text a stranger. im glad you did though!**

 

**Well, since I did, what did you want to talk about?**

 

**you're the cutest person i've seen in town so far! i wanted to see if you'd like to go on a date. if it doesnt work out, that's okay, we can still be friends. just one date?**

 

     It was a simple request, but it still made Leon conflicted. He hadn't dated much, and he didn't really know Zack at all. But all the same...

 

**Alright, just one date. Time and place?**

 

     Zack sat nervously in the waiting room of the local rollerskating rink, a pair of rented skates on the floor by his feet. He glanced at the clock, knowing Leon would be there any minute. He'd asked him out totally on impulse, and while he certainly didn't regret it, he was more nervous now that he had time to sit and think about it all. Zack pulled a necklace from his shirt, a rubber dog tag on a chain, and stuck it in his mouth, chewing. The door opened and he looked up. There he was, the serious-looking boy from the shop, biker jacket and all. Zack couldn't help smiling. Leon was pretty in a natural way, lean and tan, and in need of a haircut (not that Zack was one to judge). The deep-looking scar that cut across his nose and most of his face made Zack very curious, but he knew better than to ask about it right away. Zack stood, the dog tag dropping from his mouth as he spoke.

     “You came!” He watched at Leon made eye contact, then looked away, expression unchanging but cheeks pink.

     “Said I would, didn't I? I don't stand people up unless they seem creepy.” Leon shrugged off his jacket and tucked it into one of the cubbyholes on the wall. Zack couldn't resist admiring his arms and shoulders. He wondered, for a moment, if Leon was into swimming.

     “So that means you don't think I'm creepy. Good to know!” He laughed, and was pleased when Leon laughed along with him.

     After Leon rented a pair of skates for himself, they headed onto the rink. It was mostly empty, unsurprising for a small town. It turned out Leon was a lot more unstable on rollerskating than he was on a bike, and Zack had to hold his hands to make him let go of the railing.

     “Scared of falling?” Zack teased.

     “No!” Leon said, a little too quickly and sharply. Zack laughed, slowly leading him from the edge of the rink. Leon swayed unsteadily, falling forward and bumping into Zack's chest. They both stumbled for a moment, then straightened. Zack looked down and realized his arms had gone around Leon on instinct. They locked eyes for a moment, and Zack felt his face grow hot.

     “Uh... Sorry.” he muttered, embarrassed. He let go, taking Leon's hands again.

     “Don't worry about it.” Leon replied quietly, no longer meeting his eyes. Zack wondered if he'd made him uncomfortable.

     “Maybe we should take a break?” he asked, nervousness returning. But to his surprise, Leon shook his head.

     “No, let's stay. Won't get better at this if I don't practice.” He smiled slightly, and Zack grinned. Maybe it was okay after all.

 

     They skated for almost a full hour, when the loudspeaker suddenly crackled and came to life. A raspy voice announced it was dance hour, and to only stay on the rink if they were going to be dancing. A few people left the rink, and a few people stayed. Before Zack could ask Leon if he wanted to leave, a jazzy dance number came on

     “Er... Wanna dance?” he asked, looking down. Leon seemed to think for a moment, then his expression became determined. He leaned up and planted a kiss on Zack's cheek.

     “Sure, but if I make us fall over, don't say I didn't warn you.” He smiled, and Zack's heart seemed to flutter for a moment in his chest.

     “You know, I don't usually make a habit of enjoying the misfortune of others... But I'm really, really glad you got a flat tire the other day.” Leon laughed, then stumbled suddenly, once again falling against Zack's chest. Zack hugged him voluntarily this time, his laughter joining Leon's.

     “It's okay. To tell you the truth, I'm pretty glad too.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> There isn't a single fic I could find for this pairing. Let's change that shall we?


End file.
